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Corps decision good for
county
Published December 21,
2007
Soon, they’ll be rolling
on the San Bernard River. They’re already
celebrating.
The big news came last week when the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers announced it will
open the mouth of the river — choked off by
a sandbar for many years — directly into the
Gulf of Mexico. This is music to the ears of
Friends of the River San Bernard members, an
organization that has worked tirelessly
since 2004 to get the San Bernard mouth
unclogged, essentially restoring the river
to its natural condition.
The group, mostly made of river-area
residents and their friends, have sponsored
fundraisers, parades and cleanups and have
lobbied officials at every level of
government. It seems their work has paid
off. River advocate Roy Edwards is hoping
the Corps will complete the job by this time
next year.
“We’re going to have a party and watch the
river flow,” he said. “That will be our
Christmas gift next year.”
It’s a gift that will benefit many for many
reasons.
The main motive cited by the Corps for
taking on the project is to boost the safety
of commercial traffic in and around the
Intracoastal Waterway, said Martie Cenkci,
chief of public affairs for the Corps of
Engineers’ Galveston District. That’s an
important goal.
But dried-up businesses along the river also
will be rejuvenated as boat traffic is
reborn. River-area residents will see their
quality of life and recreational
opportunities expand. Animal and plant life
will flourish as stagnant water turns fresh.
Residents and communities upriver will
benefit from better drainage. Moreover, the
residents of Surfside Beach are requesting
the sand from the San Bernard River mouth be
moved to help replenish their eroding
beaches, though no decision has yet been
made on that matter.
Yes, the river rats and bullfrogs alike are
smiling, and they have every reason to do
so.
This editorial was written by Dale Dimitri,
copy editor for The Facts.
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